Liberating Sex

Instructor: Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre

E-mail: mdelatorre@iliff.edu

Office Hours: Arranged by email

Course Synopsis

The purpose of the course is to search faith traditions, in spite of the normative accusations of being patriarchal, to find faith-based guidelines for developing an ethical sexual lifestyle that is aware of how racism, classism, and specifically sexism influences the current conversation on sexual ethics.  The course’s focus will be on developing healthy models that foster intimacy and vulnerability for a disjointed and at times oppressive community.

Books for the Course

Althaus-Reid. Indecent Theology: Theological Perversions in Sex, Gender and Politics DUE Nov 9

De La Torre, Liberating Sexuality: Justice Between the Sheets . DUE Sept 14

Ellison. Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality . DUE Sept 21

Ellison and Douglas, eds. Sexuality and the Sacred: Sources for Theological Reflection , 2 ^nd ed.

Chapters 1-9 DUE Oct 12; Chapters 10-15 DUE Oct 19;

Chapters 16-21 DUE Oct 26; Chapters 22-29 DUE Nov 2

Goss and West Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible .

Chapters 1-11 DUE Sept 28; Chapters 12-21 Oct 5

ZOOM MEETINGS

This quarter, we'll be having several Zoom meeting sessions as a way of communicating "in person" as well as through the online discussion forums.  These sessions will be a great way to talk about the readings and pose questions and comments in live format, and get some face time with your instructors! Please attend at least three of the sessions.

We'll be holding them on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 7 pm to 7:30 pm MST.

The 40 minute meetings will be held on the following dates:

- Monday Sept 17, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/136165151

- Tuesday Sept 25, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/467730694

- Wednesday Oct 3, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/718467302

- Wednesday Oct 17, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/911720571

- Tuesday Oct 30, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/786378329

- Tuesday Nov 6, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/387776583

- Wednesday Nov 14, 7pm

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/523774803

Course Overview

The purpose of the course is to search the Christian Scriptures, in spite of its accusations of being patriarchal, to find biblically-based guidelines for developing an ethical sexual lifestyle that is aware of how racism, classism, and specifically sexism influences the current conversation on sexual ethics.  The course’s focus will be on developing healthy models that foster intimacy and vulnerability for a disjointed and at times oppressive community. 

Course Objectives

Sexuality is an important issue that everyone must face and which the Bible has something exceptionally important to say.  I believe that when the biblical text is read from the margins of society, specifically those who are normally oppressed due to their gender, readers who are accustomed to their privilege can be jarred from a normative way of thinking.  To read from the margins of power forces the reader to move beyond a biblical interpretation that fuses and confuses their opinions of sexuality with what the biblical text actually says.  To read from the margins provides an approach to dealing with issues of sexuality that can be quite liberating.       

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Core Values: As a community, Iliff strives to live by this set of Core Values.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.